The English Assignment
by InsanityIsClarity
Summary: Mr. Lancer gives his class an assignment: write a poem about a topic of your choice and present it to the class. Pre PP, not a reveal story.
1. The Assignment

**AN: Hey everyone! It's me again, going through a few of the chapters and changing a few minor details so that this story is more in sync with its sequel, 'Sam's Poetry Journal' (which you should totally check out!). So if you see that this story was updated, that's all that changed. New readers: I hope you enjoy!**

**AND DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DP. GO FIGURE.**

Danny Fenton raced down the halls, hoping to get to not miss too much of English class. He had just sucked Skulker into the Fenton thermos, and the fight lasted longer than he thought it would.

In other words, he was late. But it's not like that that was new or anything.

He made it to the door to Mr. Lancer's room, stopped to lean on the door handle to take a breath, and opened the door quietly, hoping against all odds that for once he could sneak in unnoticed.

"Late again, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer called as Danny slipped into the room. _So much for hoping. _Danny just nodded numbly, still panting from exhaustion, and took his seat, doing his best to ignore the snickers of his classmates. He rest his head on his desk, having only got a few hours of sleep last night due to ghost fighting, and gave Sam and Tucker, who sat on either side of him, a half-hearted wave.

Mr. Lancer continued on with whatever-he-was-babbling-about-now. "Okay, for your semester grade- Mr. Fenton! Is my class not important enough for you to stay awake in?" Danny jerked up out of his seat, surprised at the suddenly loud sound. His classmates laughed, including Sam and Tucker who at least tried to stifle their giggles. Groaning, Danny stared at the teacher in exasperation.

"Now. As I was saying, 30 percent of your grade will be tied up in this project. What is the project, you wonder? You will each be required to write a poem about a particular subject and read it in front of the class. The poem can be long or short; the only requirement is that the particular subject you are choosing MUST be the first word of your poem. Am I understood?" the teacher asked his class. "I will take the blank looks as yesses. The poem is due in a week- next Monday- and that is when you will be presenting. If we run out of time Monday, the rest of you will present on Wednesday. You may now take the rest of this class period to get started on your poems. I am looking forward to seeing what creative poems you guys can come up with."

The class all took out their pencils and a piece of paper, and most of them started writing out potential topic ideas. Most. Some students already knew what they were writing about, and just started writing their poems.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam, however, were passing notes back and forth trying to help each other come up with the ideas. The piece of paper they shared looked somewhat like this.

**oOoOoOo**

_Tucker's pencil: So… what are you guys doing for your topics?_

Danny's pen: Not sure. Sam?

**Sam's black marker: I'm doing my poem about death. You know what you're doing yet Tucker?**

_I think I might write about love._

You're going to write a poem about your PDA?

**And how you two fell in love at first sight?**

_Haha, very funny. Forget love. I think I'm going to write about friendship._

**Well, it's not death , but that's not a bad topic. Come up with anything yet, Danny?**

No… any ideas?

**You could write about destruction.**

Erm… no thanks.

_You could write about courage. _

**But what would Danny FENTON know about courage? We have to read these in front of the class you know.**

I know… hey! Maybe I could write a poem on astronomy! That'd be cool.

**Well, it's not death, but it's not a bad idea. Especially for you.**

_Sounds good to me._

**oOoOoOo**

"Are you three passing notes?" Mr. Lancer's angry voice cut through the semi-silence. The teacher was now standing in front of the three friends, more specifically in front of Danny, who was currently housing the piece of paper.

"N-no?" Danny stuttered, hoping the teacher wouldn't take and read the piece of paper.

Mr. Lancer reached down and took the piece of paper out of Danny's shaking hands, the student's terrified facial expression sparking laughter from many of his classmates. Seeing that Danny needed help, Sam spoke up. "we were passing notes, _Mr. Lancer_, to help each other come up with topic ideas. So if you would _please_ give us back our paper, we would really _appreciate_ it." The Goth's words came out sarcastically, yet what she said was (somewhat) true. After quickly scanning over the page and seeing what she said was true, Mr. Lancer handed Danny back the paper.

"Keep your ideas, Mr. Fenton, Miss Manson, and Mr. Foley, just don't let me see you passing notes in my class again." Danny quickly crumpled up the paper- they had their ideas, they just didn't want anyone else reading them- and passed it to Sam, who sat next to the recycling been. Sam unrumpled the note, ripped it to shreds, and tossed the remains into the bin.

The bell rang, and the class exited the classroom, Danny and his friends grateful that for once a ghost didn't attack during the middle class. All except for one student. Dash Baxter stayed behind. Once Mr. Lancer turned his back to grade some papers, he grabbed some shreds of paper out of the recycling been. Unfortunately- or fortunately, depending on whose side you're on- a lot of the small slips fell through the jock's fingers and back into the recycling. Deciding to just quit while he was ahead, Dahs took the few that had remained in his hands and headed for his locker. Once there, Dash took a look at the slips. One read "anything yet, Danny?". Another read "your PDA?". _Go figure_, Dash thought sarcastically, _Technurd's gonna write about his precious PDA_. The last lip was the largest. It read "poem on astronomy! That'd be cool.". _Wow Fenturd_, Dash thought, _You sure have a messed up definition of cool_.

With that last thought, Dash grabbed his books, closed his locker, and headed for the math classroom, thinking about the strange assignment and Fentina's nerdy topic all the way.

**AN: That's it for the first chapter! Which students should write a poem? What should their topics be? You guys decide by leaving comments! Thanks for reading**


	2. Nathan

**AN: You guys are awesome! 9 reviews for this story and I just uploaded it yesterday! So, I bring you chapter 2! And, for the purposes of this story, Nathan's last name is now Ross. And it's pre Phantom Planet, but you guys probably already guessed that. Anyways, enjoy!**

Nathan sat at his desk in his room, thinking about Mr. Lancer's assignment intently. He wanted to write a poem about something that was important to him, but he didn't know what quite yet. _Hmmm_, he thought, _what's important to me? Well there's my family, but I really don't know how I'd make that into a poem. There's my computer, but I think Mikey might be doing a poem about his computer, and I don't want to copy. There's my trumpet… I can do a poem about music!_

Wasting no time, Nathan took out a pencil and paper and began to write. Later he would revise the poem a million times before he finally deemed it fit to read in front of his class.

**THE FOLLOWING MONDAY:**

Mr. Lancer paced in the front of the classroom with his hands behind his back, desperately hoping that not all of the poems would be… lacking. Deciding to just get the show on the road he called out, "Okay class, who wants to read their poem first?" No hands went up. Lancer sighed; disappointed that no one was as enthused about this project as he was. "Okay, guess I'll just have to start picking people. Hmmmm…." He trailed off, his pointer finger wandering around the room over the nervous students.

_Okay, _Lancer thought,_ I would like to start this off on a good note, so who would've written a good poem? _Mr. Lancer's eyes landed on Nathan, a smart student who maintained straight A's and would be considered a teacher's pet if it hadn't been for his even smarter friends. "Nathan!" the teacher called, "You're up. Wow us."

Nathan paled. He definitely did NOT want to go first. First meant people weren't even remotely bored yet. First meant people actually paid attention to what you were saying. First meant he set the bar. First meant-

"Are you going to come up and read you poem or not, Mr. Ross?"

Snapped out of his reverie, Nathan quickly got out of his seat and made his way to the front of the classroom. He turned to face the class and got nervous all over again. _Get ahold of yourself, Nathan, _he thought,_ There are two types of people: nervous people who can't get over their nerves and nervous people who CAN get over their nerves. You are a part of the second group, Ross, so GO!_

"M-my p-poem is about music," Nathan introduced. He then looked at the piece of paper he had brought up with him and proceeded to read his poem, stuttering here and there.

"Music.  
Many believe that music is what feelings sound like.  
I am part of that group.  
Music takes us on a journey.  
We leave the band room,  
We are no longer sitting in our rooms with headphones on,  
We are watching a strong storm rolling in,  
Or are staring at a peaceful lake.  
We are having fun with those we care about,

Or finally standing up to our oppressors.  
We are standing atop a cliff,  
Or resting on the grass below.  
We are in a dream that is laced with reality  
And music takes us there.  
So don't make fun of us for playing our instruments.  
Don't tell us we spend too much time wearing our headphones.  
But if you do, we don't have to listen to what you say.  
We can just listen to our music."

As Nathan wrapped up his poem, the class was stunned. Most of his classmates thought Nathan would chose something dorky like the importance of flossing for his topic. And while most of them couldn't relate to or even made fun of the band geeks, most could definitely relate to listening to music with their headphones and being told they did it way too much.

Most of the jocks thought the poem was just ok. They could relate to the headphones thing, and some of them understood what Nathan meant when he said that music took them places, but that didn't mean they were going to stop teasing the band nerds. It was tradition, and, just like Nathan's poem said, they could ignore it.

While all of the class was clapping a little for the poem, the band "nerds" were extra loud in their endeavor. Nathan was one of their own, and they always supported their own, but Nathan also described the feeling playing and listening to music gave each of them amazingly. To them, one of the best feelings in the world was when you were rocking your way through your favorite part of the song along with your fellow band members after months of practicing the song.

However, he student who enjoyed the poem the most had to have been Sam Manson. While her best friends Danny and Tucker both loved music and both understood the ignoring the jocks part of the poem (along with the band members) even better than she did, they by no means understood the importance of having the escape that is music. With parents that were always pressuring her to be someone she wasn't, Sam was more than welcoming of a way she could escape her house (when she couldn't do so literally, that is) and music was perfect. She could just put in her earbuds and forget about _everything._

The applause ended and Nathan took his seat once more, smiling. He high fived some of his friends who sat near him, and his happiness grew. He didn't think his classmates would like his poem so much- even the jocks clapped a little. That was more than he had ever hoped for. Checking that assignment off as a success in his head, Nathan turned back towards the front of the classroom.

"Okay," Mr. Lancer said, "who will go next?"

**AN: Who will go next indeed. Leave a review and say for yourself! Thanks for reading**


	3. Star

**AN: Can I just say that you guys are FREAKING AWESOME! 18 reviews in two days… that's more than I've ever gotten in that time! Thanks so much****. And enjoy the chapter! (And, just to make this clear, I don't own Danny Phantom.)**

"Okay, who will go next?" Mr. Lancer asked.

While the whole class deliberated whether or not they should volunteer to read their poems or not, Sam Danny and Tucker were having their own conversation in hushed tones.

"So, how'd your guys' poems come along?" Sam whispered.

"Pretty good," Tucker replied. "I did change my topic though."

"What'd you change your topic to?" Sam asked. Meanwhile, Danny face palmed. He had been so busy the past week with ghost fighting (Vlad decided to make a week long attempt at killing Jack and Danny was constantly having to ward off ghost from their home. Even with help from Jazz, Tucker, Sam, and, when they spotted the ghost first, his parents, it was still a lot of work, and Danny almost had no free time. It didn't help that whenever his parents saw Phantom they shot at him before any of the other ghosts either.) and completely forgot to complete, or even start, the assignment.

"It's a surprise," Tucker answered Sam's question. Looking to his downcast friend, Tucker asked, "What's wrong, Danny?"

"Completely forgot to do the assignment," Danny moaned, laying his head down on the desk.

"Maybe you can go last, that way you won't have to go until tomorrow," Sam suggested.

"And," Tucker added, "if that doesn't work, you could always just wing it."

"Gee thanks guys," Danny replied sarcastically. He was about to continue when Mr. Lancer spoke.

"Star, how nice of you to volunteer," he spoke, obviously happy that someone actually volunteered to read their poem, even if the blonde cheerleader was known as an airhead.

Star walked to the front of the classroom slowly, remembering the day about half a week ago when she chose her topic.

**oOoOoOo**

**FOUR DAYS BEFORE:**

Star was in her bedroom, trying to come up with a topic for her poem. She had procrastinated the assignment a few days, but she knew she could get it done in time. Most people thought that she was an airhead, but in reality she was actually very smart. She got straight A's in all of her classes. The only reason people thought she was an airhead was because a) she was popular. Star found this generalization to be stupid: must all high schoolers stereotype everyone? Why couldn't she be popular AND smart? b) She didn't show anyone her report card. Her mother always told her not to brag, so she doesn't. Wouldn't want to disrespect the dead, after all. c) she is dating Kwan. So? Kwan wasn't anywhere near as mean as Dash, and she genuinely liked the guy, even if he was a little empty headed at times. She liked her popularity, sure, but she also liked her intelligence.

So, after procrastinating the poem a few days, she was sure she was going to be fine. However, coming up with a topic was proving more difficult than she thought it would be. She didn't want to do something meaningless and empty headed that would be sure to earn her a bad grade, but she didn't want to lose her popularity or confuse her classmates_. I'm sure I'll do fine_, she told herself, _but I want to do better than just fine_. Fine was a concept Star thought about a lot. People always said they were fine, but most times someone said that they were actually doing horribly. As she thought through the word once again, an epiphany hit Star. And she knew what her topic was.

**oOoOoOo**

**PRESENT TIME:**

Star stood in front of the class. Following Nathan's example, she introduced her poem. "Hey," she greeted. "My poem is on the concept we call fine." Looking down at the paper she brought up with her, she began to read.

"Fine.  
I'm sure I'll be fine,  
But fine's not my goal in life,  
I want to be better than just alright  
I know I'll be okay,  
But tomorrow I want to be better than I am today.  
I'm sure I'll survive,  
But I don't want to just exist  
I want to live!  
I'm perfectly, perfectly fine  
But fine's overrated in my mind  
I say I'm fine, and I am fine  
But fine's just one step above the despair  
Where no one cares  
And no one cares  
Now no one cares!  
I want to live, not just exist  
I have to find the purpose for my life  
There has to be one, right?"

When Star finished reading her poem, everyone clapped. Most of the class didn't think that airhead Star could ever produce such a deep and thoughtful poem. Her "best friend" Paulina and the other populars certainly didn't. Most of the class, populars included, thought Star would write a poem about beauty or popularity or something of that sort.

Really the only person in the class that expected something of this caliber from her was Valerie Gray. The former popular turned outcast's only real friend since her fall from popularity was Star. Sure she was friends (somewhat) with Danny, but their friendship had been strained ever since she dumped him. And her former friends would have nothing to do with anyone who wasn't rich. But Star was the exception. Star still talked to Valerie on occasion, mostly because she sympathized with the girl. Star was unpopular at her old school back in the eighth grade and was always called a nerd, which was just another reason Star didn't show anyone her grades. That and she also related to Valerie's lack of a mother.

Hence, when Star read her poem in front of the class, Valerie wasn't shocked at all. When you only really talk to one person, you learn a lot about them, and Valerie learned that Star wasn't near as stupid as she seemed. And Val was really proud of her friend for showing everyone else that.

The applause for Star's poem died down, and she returned to her seat, happy that everyone both understood and liked her poem. Maybe they would think twice before calling her an airhead now.

As Star sat down, she looked around at her classmates and wondered who would go next.

**AN: And that's it for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed and be sure to leave a review**


	4. Mikey

**Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't post a chapter yesterday- some family came and visited. Anyways, you guys are amazing! 31 reviews on only three chapters! Keep this up, and I'll keep having to update every day! School for me starts up again tomorrow… although it does look like we might get a snow day. So cross your fingers for the snow and enjoy the chapter!**

_As Star sat down, she looked around at her classmates and wondered who would go next._

When Mr. Lancer asked once again if anyone wanted to read their poem, Mikey raised his hand. He just wanted to get this over with, and hopefully get a good grade. Mikey had never been artistically gifted, and creativity was NOT his thing. So when Mr. Lancer first revealed the assignment, Mikey was terrified to say the least. He remembered clearly the night he wrote his poem.

**oOoOoOo**

**5 DAYS EARLIER:**

Mikey sat at his desk in his room staring intently at the blank paper. He just couldn't come up with anything! No doubt the popular kids would get good grades no matter what crap they decided to turn in! Heck, Dash would probably do a stupid poem about how amazing he was and he would get praise for days! And even though Mikey did get straight A's, he didn't get a lot of the things he wanted because of the popular kids.

He didn't make student council and the populars did, even though he campaigned with posters and buttons and they didn't do anything! He didn't make yearbook club because the Mr. Lancer chose the popular kids over him. He tried so hard, and yet he failed! Banging his head on his desk, he came face to face again with the empty paper. Now if only he could come up with a topic….

**oOoOoOo**

**PRESENT TIME:**

Mikey was the first (and only) student to raise his hand, so Mr. Lancer called up the small boy to read his poem. Mikey walked up to the front of the classroom and looked at his piece of paper. He had his poem memorized, but he really didn't want to have to look at his classmates' faces as he recited the poem, so he just read the paper anyways.

Before he started reading, he introduced his poem. "H-hey," he stuttered, "My poem is about f-failure."

And with that, Mikey started reading.

"Failure.  
When I try hard for things I usually fail,  
And those who skim through are those who prevail.  
It just doesn't seem fair.  
I try harder and am smarter than them,  
But still they always win.  
They work through everything with ease,  
And receive easily anything they please.  
But that luck never favors me.  
And when failure after failure starts to wear me out,  
I find it harder and harder to get past my doubt."

After he finished reading, Mikey looked up at his classmates. Everyone wore a stunned expression. No one expected the small 'nerd' to write such a deep and depressing poem. Everyone just sat in stunned silence (including Mr. Lancer) for a few moments before Mikey tentatively walked back to his desk and sat down. As soon as he sat down, some people started hesitantly clapping, and as more people joined in, it became a full-fledged round of applause. As Mikey heard the clapping, he looked around at his classmates and was shocked. They were all staring at him with frowns on their faces , and yet they were still applauding. Mikey wondered what was going on inside their heads.

Most of Mr. Lancer's class was depressed directly after hearing Mikey's poem. Pretty much everyone could relate to trying so hard to get something only to be beaten by someone who doesn't try at all.

Even the person Mikey was thinking of for getting everything easily was relating to the poem. Dash was constantly trying to live up to live up to the accomplishments his brother so easily and seemed to be failing. Didn't they see that he wasn't his brother? So why did they expect him to be like his brother? It was just so messed up.

Another student who was relating to the poem was Valerie Gray. Ever since she started working at the Nasty Burger, she had been somewhat bitter about the fact that the A-listers got anything they wanted because of their parents money while her and her father were working hard to just survive. It didn't seem fair how they could breeze through life while she worked hard and didn't get anywhere near as much as they did.

Other students were also relating to the poem. Mikey's friends were thinking about how they were still dubbed 'losers' even though they worked hard while anyone born lucky was popular. Tucker, even though he'd never admit it, was kind of jealous of how easily Danny could defy the laws of science by doing as little as just existing while he was just stuck trying to do the same by dreaming up designs for new technology… new technology that would never work. Danny was jealous of the fact that super heroes from movies could balance two identities perfectly while he was barely making it by in both.

Star was sick of being stuck in second place to Paulina. She wanted to be her own person. She was sick of having no purpose other than to be "Paulina's friend" when she tried so hard to be something else. Paulina herself was sick of failing when it came to being desired for anything besides her beauty… believe it or not every once in a while she did get a new idea. And to both Star, it was unfair how easily the ugly students were classified as their own person. For Paulina, it was unfair how the nerds were wanted for their ideas. Their ideas would never leave, but, even though Paulina hated thinking about it, she knew that her beauty would eventually fade.

The only person in the classroom who didn't relate to the poem was Sam. She was perfectly happy with being herself and prided herself in both her mistakes and her successes.

And as everyone clapped for Mikey's poem, he knew that he wasn't the only person who felt the way he did. Maybe he wasn't so alone when it came to this!

**AN: And there's that chapter! The next chapter will either be Paulina or Kwan, so you guys leave a comment and tell me who you want!**


	5. Paulina

**AN: Hey everyone! I asked and you answered. Coupled with the fact that I already had her poem written, I have decided to bring you guys… Paulina's chapter! But don't worry Kwan fans, his chapter will be next and will be posted in hopefully 10 hours at the most! You guys continue to astound me with how many reviews I've gotten, so thank you so much****. Enjoy the chapter!**

This time, when Mr. Lancer asked for volunteers, a perfectly tanned hand with pink fingernails shot up into the air. Paulina Sanchez didn't want to be the first to read her poem for fear of sounding to eager, but she was excited to read hers. Mr. Lancer, excited that his students were starting to show some enthusiasm for an assignment, called the head cheerleader to the front of the classroom.

Paulina walked up to the front of the classroom with her hands at her sides, having memorized her poem and not needing to read it from a piece of paper. The girl took a deep breath as she faced the class, briefly remembering the morning she wrote her poem.

**oOoOoOo**

**3 DAYS EARLIER:**

Paulina scowled. Her darned alarm clock had just waked her up from a SPECTACULAR dream in which the ghost boy of Amity Park fell in love with her. He was just about to fly her off into the sunset when that blasted alarm clock just HAD to ruin everything! Now she had to leave Phantom, and go get dressed just so she could go to school and to Mr. Lancer's class… which, by the way, was so not worth interrupting Paulina and Phantom's moment!

Mind now thinking of Mr. Lancer's class, Paulina remembered the poem that was due on the following Monday. _Ugh_, she thought, _I will NEVER be able to think of a topic! If only Phantom were here; he would help me… wait a minute! I think I have my topic…_

**oOoOoOo**

**PRESESENT TIME (ONCE AGAIN):**

"My poem," Paulina introduced, "is titled 'Saved'."

"Saved  
My dearest ghost boy,  
You may be listening to this  
You may be in the back of the room  
Invisible to the naked eye  
You may not be listening to this  
You may be out fighting ghosts right now for all I know  
Either way, I just wanted to thank you  
For saving me time and time again  
And I know that someday we will overcome the rules of life and death  
And become a couple,  
But until that day comes  
Or if that day never comes  
Due to science preventing it  
I just wanted to say thanks.  
Thanks Phantom, for saving me."

After the poem was finished, Paulina stared out at her class with a huge grin on her face. As soon as she smiled, and everyone knew she was finished, almost everyone in the room clapped. Practically everyone at Casper High idolized Phantom, so when a poem was read about him, everyone immediately loved it. Almost everyone. There were a few exceptions.

Dash was one of the students who idolized Phantom, but It somewhat bothered him how his on and off girlfriend was majorly crushing on another guy, ghost hero or not. _Well_, Dash thought, _at least the poem wasn't obsessive as it could've been. She did mention there being a slight possibility that her and the hero wouldn't end up together, even if it was because the laws of the universe were preventing it_.

Valerie. Valerie didn't like the rich girl's poem for obvious (or at least obvious to anyone who even knows Valerie) reasons. The ghost boy ruined Val's life, and even if he did save Paulina a few times, that does not make him any less evil. _And_, Valerie added, _it is kind of egotistical how he would only save the high school's it girl. I guess everyone else is just too ugly to be worth saving!_

Sam Manson was another among the list of the naysayers. Unlike Valerie, her problem wasn't with Phantom, her problem was with Paulina. _How dare that girl think that Danny would just love to date her! And how stupid could she be, thinking that a ghost and a human could actually have a working relationship… she doesn't even know his secret! I mean, a halfa and a human isn't as strange…. No Sam. Danny and you are just friends. Only friends…._

Tucker Foley was clapping along with the rest of the class, but his clapping was hesitant. He couldn't believe that his friend was getting thank you letters from beautiful girls! And yet… the girl still ignored half of Danny. She was a complete jerk to his friend and yet still was writing thank you poems to his alter ego. It was more than slightly weird. Besides, Danny wasn't interested in Paulina anymore, he was crushing on Sam now, and she on him, even if neither of them could realize it. _Clueless… both of them…_

Danny- Fenton and Phantom both- had mixed feelings about the poem. On one hand, it was nice that he was getting some appreciation for his hero work. On the other, he just didn't feel that way about her anymore. He still thought she was pretty, someone would have to be an idiot to think otherwise, but she was shallow. She had no personality to her…. No depth. However, he had a secret identity to keep, so he clapped along with the rest of the class.

Basking in all the applause she was receiving from the class, Paulina smiled even bigger, still at the front of the classroom. She just knew that Phantom was invisible right now at the back of the class, unseen to all but watching her. She wasn't all that far from the truth really. Phantom was in the back of the classroom and he was invisible, in a sense. But Paulina didn't know that. So with a discreet wave to the back wall, she walked over to her seat and sat down, content in knowing that Phantom would probably meet her after school.

**AN: And that is Paulina's chapter! Like I said, Kwan is next, so keep an eye out for his chapter, and remember to leave a review… they make me more willing to write for you! Hey that rhymed**** (And you guys might have noticed the cover art. Just FYI, I own everything except for Lancer.)**


	6. Kwan

**AN: I'd like to thank all of the guests who are reviewing this story! I haven't done that yet, so thanks… I really appreciate the feedback you guys give- all of you! Keep up with the reviewing (can we get 50 reviews after this chapter?) and enjoy the chapter**

A few students later, the only ninth graders left to present their assignments were Kwan, Dash, Valerie, Tucker, Sam and Danny. Dash wanted to go last, you know, best for last and everything. So, since the geek freak squad was across the room and his best bud was sitting next to him, he sent his friend a look that clearly said, "Go now or else." The or else could not be conveyed over the glare, but Kwan took the hint, trying to avoid whatever the Or Else was (in reality Dash didn't have an Or Else, he just knew that Kwan would assume he did).

Raising his hand, and being the only student to do so, Kwan was immediately called on by Mr. Lancer. Kwan walked to the front of the classroom, somewhat nervous to be reading his poem. He knew his poem was clearly implied how he felt next to Dash sometimes, but he knew Dash wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, so he assumed he'd be fine. As he shuffled up to the front of the room, he thought back to the previous night, when he had written the poem.

**oOoOoOo**

**THE NIGHT BEFORE:**

Some people might view waiting until the last night to work on a project you had all week to complete as procrastinating way too much, and Kwan was generally one of those people. But, come on, it was just a poem, so Kwan figured he'd live if he procrastinate a little. Besides, Kwan was decent at poetry (even though he'd never admit it, he did write a lot of poetry when he was younger), and he already had his topic. So he'd be fine.

His poem would be in two parts. The first part would be about how he felt about always being second place to Dash. He had no idea how he'd write it, but it seemed like it'd turn out ok. He was just kinda tired of always being seen as "the second in command of Dash". He'd talked to Star before, and knew that she felt the same way about Paulina, and while it was nice to know that he wasn't alone in his feelings, he still felt obligated to write the poem.

The second part was going to be referring life to a movie. In all honesty, most days Kwan sort of knew that if life was a movie or even a TV show, that he wasn't the star. And he got the sneaking suspicion that it wasn't Dash or Paulina either. Kwan knew all of the bad things the A-listers did, and most protagonists tended to be nice. So who was the protagonist? Maybe it was Phantom, or maybe it was one of the nerds the popular kids (including him, he thought sadly) wailed on. But it was most definitely not Kwan or his friends, of that he was sure.

**oOoOoOo**

**AND BACK TO THE FUTURE- ERM, THE PRESENT.**

Kwan finally reached the front of the room, his thought process seeming longer than him when in reality it was only the duration of about half a minute.

"Hey," he greeted casually, trying to appear calm. "My poem is called Second."]

He took a deep breath, looked down at the piece of notebook paper he had brought up with him, and began reading.

"Second.  
Second rate,  
Second place.  
Almost there,  
And yet not quite.  
Always in the shadows,  
Forever in the background.  
If my life were a movie I'd be an extra,  
And no one cares about another face in the crowd.  
I follow the first and walk before the last,  
Everyone forgets about the middle.  
No one cares about the middle.  
I'm always in the middle.  
Runner up, good try.  
Almost there,  
Yet not quite.  
Second."

Once Kwan finished, he stood still, slightly disappointed that no one was clapping, just thinking deeply and staring off into space. Thankfully, Star saw that he wanted applause (mainly because everyone else was getting it, and not getting it was proving to be awkward) and started clapping somewhat loudly. That seemed to snap everyone out of their reveries, and one by one the rest of the class started clapping as well.

Giving Star a grateful smile, he went back and sat in his seat. Mr. Lancer was writing some notes on his grading sheet, so the idle class thought about starting to talk. But no one could bring themselves to break the unnatural (at least in a high school classroom) silence, so they just sat there silently, each in his or her own world of thought.

Star obviously liked Kwan's poem, and not only because she liked Kwan, or not even because she related to the poem. Kwan was just simply a good writer. Star had known this already, as Kwan had written her many a poem for her birthday, their dating anniversaries, and other occasions. He asked her not to tell anyone about his gift, as it would probably get him labeled as a geek, so she didn't, although she always encouraged him to keep writing.

Dash was oblivious to the fact that when Kwan said he always felt like he was in second place that he was referring to him, Dash. What the jock did pick up from the poem was that Kwan felt as if he was "another face in the crowd", which was kind of depressing. _And Kwan doesn't deserve to feel that way_, Dash mused, _he isn't another face in the crowd: he's awesome! And he should know that… I'll have to remind him! _With his resolution to help his best friend created, Dash started wondering how Kwan had learned to write that amazingly.

Danny, Sam and Tucker were all surprised that Kwan had the ability to write that well too. All three recognized that when Kwan said he was feeling stuck at second place he was referring to Dash. After hearing the poem, Danny thought of Vlad, and how he was probably doomed to always be less powerful than Vlad because he didn't have the 20 years of experience the older man had.

While everyone else was thinking about Kwan's poem, Kwan himself was looking at the last four students, wondering which of the three geeks (although Kwan didn't think of the word in a derogatory way, just as a way to define people) Valerie, or Dash would go next.

**AN: And there is chapter 6! Ok, either Valerie or Dash is going next, so who will it be? You guys decide by leaving comments! And thanks for reading**


	7. Valerie

**AN: 59 reviews- you guys are awesome! Keep it up please! Anyways, you guys might have seen the updated description of this story- the one that says that **_**this is NOT a reveal story**_**. I read the reviews (and thank you all for reviewing) and I noticed a few of you want a reveal story. I'm sorry, but this will not be a reveal story. Here's why: Danny's smart (except in math) and if he didn't want to reveal his secret for months, he probably wouldn't want to now. If he did reveal his secret, I think he'd go to his parents first. Instead of having someone else tell them, he would tell them himself. I also kinda think a poem is a pretty lousy way for the secret to be revealed. Once again, thank you all for your reviews, and enjoy this chapter! **_**And this is pre D-Stabilized too.**_

Valerie had a plan. She didn't want to read her poem in front of her class. Not because she didn't like her poem, but because she really didn't like standing up in front of a lot of people. Not that roughly 15 students was a lot of people, but it was still out of her comfort zone. So, she formed a plan of how to not be remembered. She knew from experience that everyone remembered the first few to read their poems, and everyone remembered the last few to read their poems. But as time went on, they started to zone out more and more (that is until the last few). So, she would go close to last, but not last.

And that's why, when only five people were left to read their poems, she volunteered to read hers. Mr. Lancer called on her immediately, as she was the only student raising her hand, and she picked up her piece of paper and walked to the front of the classroom. She hoped she would be ok, and in the last few moments before reading her poem, she remembered the day she wrote it.

**oOoOoOo**

**ROUGHLY FIVE DAYS AGO:**

Valerie sat in study hall, trying to come up with a topic for her poem. She had been thinking about it for about half an hour, and her mind was starting to wander. To Phantom. That ghost was the bane of her existence! He ruined her life, and damages property, and steal stuff, and attacks the mayor, and everyone thinks he's some kind of hero!

_Better yet_, Valerie thought sarcastically, _the ghost has intangibility. Even if she had a perfect shot, it still probably wouldn't hit him_. Valerie was getting sick of battling something that was seemingly invincible. And yet her persistence still made her. Groaning, she laid her head on her desk. Trying to switch thought processes, she went back to thinking about her poem. _Wait… maybe I do have a topic!_

**oOoOoOo**

**PRESENT TIME!**

"The title of my poem," Valerie introduced, "is Persistence."

Looking down at the paper in her hand, she began reading.

"Persistence.  
Sometimes I get tired of trying to beat the invincible.  
Sometimes I get sick of trying to prevent the inevitable.  
Sometimes I get fed up with attempting the impossible.  
Sometimes I get exhausted from trying my best and not getting anywhere.  
And, stupid me, I still try to beat the invincible.  
I still am idiotic enough to try preventing the inevitable.  
I foolishly continue to attempt the impossible.  
I continue to try my best and continue to go nowhere.  
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.  
You've fooled me many times. Shame on me and shame on my naivety.  
I think of myself as persistent.  
But am I really just idiotic?  
Will I ever win, or do I keep making the same mistake?  
And everything seems hopeless, there is no chance for me to prevail.  
Because I'm battling the invincible.  
I'm trying to prevent the inevitable.  
I'm attempting the impossible.  
And like every time before, I'm not getting anywhere.  
Yet I still try, for some reason.  
And right now I'm cursing my persistence."

After her poem was finished, Valerie lost no time in getting back to her desk and into her chair. And even though she was no longer at the front of the room, everyone still looked at her and most people clapped. Most people could relate from the feeling of trying to do the impossible.

Danny realized that Valerie was most likely talking about Phantom in her poem, and he felt bad that she felt that way about him and herself, but hey, he couldn't just surrender to her! He did relate to the poem, though. For him, he felt he was trying to prevent the inevitable sometimes. He was trying to prevent the day where there were too many ghosts for him to handle. Trying to prevent the day where he couldn't save everyone. Trying to prevent _Him_ from happening. Knowing that any small mistake could mean life and death, he was often freaking out about making mistakes at all.

Dash was trying to prevent the end of high school. He knew that in high school, he was feared because he could pack a punch, and he was idolized because he could play football. But when he went to college, if he got into college, there would be people who could hit harder and play better than him. He would no longer be top dog, he'd be another face in the crowd. He was afraid of the inevitable. Although he kept his thoughts limited, he had something to do, and he couldn't write if he was lost in thought.

Star, in her quest for trying to get out of Paulina's shadow, felt as if she were attempting the impossible. She had been the girl's satellite for so long, she doubted anyone was even capable of seeing her as anything else. Even if it was possible, it would take forever, and she didn't want to wait until junior or senior year, or even college, to be seen as her own person.

Sam was also trying to prevent the inevitable: death. Sure, she was an ultra recylco vegetarian because she didn't like the idea of killing innocent animals, but she was also trying to be healthy as to not cut her life short. But she knew that death was inevitable. Even perfectly healthy people had the chance, although smaller, of getting cancer. Anyone could die in a car accident or another type of accident. Heck, one of her best friends was half dead!

Tucker sometimes felt like he was battling the invincible. Sure, Danny handled most of the ghost fights, but the times when he did have to help, he knew that he and Sam were outmatched when it came to ghosts. He would always help his friends, but he couldn't help feeling that they were trying to take down the invincible.

And as Valerie saw all of her classmates lost in thought (all except for Dash, who was scribbling something furiously on a piece of paper), she knew she wasn't alone in her thoughts, even if her classmates didn't relate to them in the same exact way she did.

**AN: And that is finished! Next up: Dash! Remember to leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated!**


	8. Dash

**AN: Hey everyone! Today I'm bringing you Dash's poem! I actually wrote this poem during some spare time in English class lol. (You know you're an introvert when you're writing poetry and song lyrics in your notebook when you could be talking with your classmates****). Anyways, enjoy and remember to review (Who's next: Sam or Tucker?)! AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT, NOR DO I SUPPORT, DASH/KWAN ROMANCE. IT IS FRIENDSHIP ONLY.**

Even though he originally wanted to go last, after hearing his friend's depressing poem, he knew he had to cheer up his friend… ASAP! And his poem would do just that too! So, when Lancer asked yet again for volunteers, Dash raised his hand instantly, much to the confusion a certain best friend.

Mr. Lancer, excited to see Dash enthusiastic about something other than football, called on the jock immediately. Dash smiled his signature smile, gathered a hastily written on piece of paper and practically skipped to the front of the classroom. Those students with good eyesight could see that the paper was two sided, some poem about football on the front side and whatever else was on there on the side faced towards Dash's stomach.

Clearing his throat and preparing to speak, Dash thought back to when he wrote the poem… and boy, was it a long time ago!

**oOoOoOo**

**ROUGHLY FIVE MINUTES… WAIT WHAT?! THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT! IT SHOULD BE FIVE DAYS, OR AT LEAST FIVE HOURS RIGHT? HMMM, THE AUTHOR SAYS ITS FIVE MINUTES…. STRANGE…..**

**ROUGHLY FIVE **_**MINUTES**_** AGO:**

As soon as Valerie finished her poem, Dash flipped the piece of paper with his own poem on it. After listening to all the deep poems written by the other students, especially Kwan's, he knew that his poem about football wouldn't cut it anymore. So he hastily scribbled down some words, trying to rhyme and at the same time trying to convey to Kwan how amazing he was.

Kwan and Dash had been best friends since the first grade. The beginning had been a bit… rocky. There was only one red crayon, and two students who loved the color red. That conflict had been settled quickly enough through a game of miniature tug-a-war, the crayon having broken and each of the boys taking a half. The two's relationship had still been hostile for a few hours after that. Until recess.

At the time, Kwan didn't have very many friends. Sure, he was on okay terms with that Star girl… what a weird name… but he just didn't have any guy friends. Nonetheless, he climbed up onto the metal playground structure and headed for the small slide a few steps away from him. Just as he was about to sit down on the slide, a 3rd grader snuck up from behind him and pushed him hard, making him topple head over heels down the slide, which was luckily only a few feet long, unlike the bigger slide at the other end of the playground.

The 3rd grader started laughing at the pain he inflicted on Kwan (little sadist, Dash thought as he thought back on the event) and slid down the slide, landing right in front of the currently-laying-on-his-back-first grader. He was about to kick Kwan when a voice stopped him.

"You!" With all the fury of a six year old, Dash sprinted forward in what would later be his most powerful tackle move and knocked the older kid to the ground. He helped Kwan up again, who was shockingly still doing ok after his tumble down the slide, even if he had a minor limp. Just then, the bell rang and everyone rushed inside. Dash and Kwan walked in together, and thus started their legendary friendship.

Unfortunately, after that incident, Dash had been fairly protective of Kwan, not wanting his new friend to get hurt, or worse, broken. Anyone who even stepped near Kwan, if they were not a friend, were scared away. After a while, Dash had to admit he enjoyed the feeling having people fear him gave. And then it became an almost unhealthy addiction…

**oOoOoOo**

**IMAGINE CLOCKWORK'S MAGIC TAKING US BACK TO THE PRESENT…**

**WOOOOOOOOSHHHHHH!**

"My poem is titled Friend."

"Friend.  
You're always there,  
And you genuinely care  
When no one else does.  
Team Member.  
You try your best  
And pass the test  
Of endurance.  
Comrade.  
You and I, we stick together,  
And we can weather  
Anything.  
Best friend.  
You're the best,  
Friend."

Dash looked up from his paper and turned his head towards Kwan, smiling. Kwan beamed back, grateful to his friend. Kwan had actually been wondering about his significance in this school, this town, and this life recently, and Dash's poem had really helped. Maybe if he was just helping one person get through this crazy thing we call high school, then he at least had a purpose, albeit a small one.

What Kwan didn't know was that, by helping Dash, he was really helping out a lot of other people too. No one really knew it, but whenever Kwan was around, Dash went easier on the kids he bullied, even if Kwan was bullying with him. Although no one had guessed it yet, not even Dash, it was because Dash somewhat thought of Kwan as a little brother that needed protection, even though they were relatively the same age.

Applause rang out through the crowd, led by Kwan, and after smiling and looking around at everyone, he took his seat once again.

Everyone could relate to Dash's poem as well. All they really had to do was look at or think of their own best friends. Star looked at Valerie, Dash looked at Kwan, Mikey looked over at Nathan, Danny, Sam and Tucker all looked at each other, Mr. Lancer looked at his book, and Paulina looked all around the room, frantically hoping someone would look back at her before sighing and staring back at the back wall, thinking of Phantom.

The one thing that was common with everyone though was that they all were pleasantly surprised at Dash's poem, along with his strong friendship with Kwan.

Finally stopping his book gazing, Mr. Lancer walked up to the front of the classroom.

"So, who's next?"

**AN: Who is next indeed. Sam or Tucker? Sammmmm….. or Tuckerrrrrr? You guys decide- leave a review! And thanks for reading! Peace out**


	9. Tucker

**AN: 96 REVIEWS! You guys are awesome! Can we get to 100? Pretty please?**

Seeing as his two friends weren't going to volunteer, Danny because he was still trying to write out a poem on a piece of paper (he'd been writing discreetly in between all of the poems) and Sam because she didn't want to… no questions asked on that one, Tucker reluctantly raised his hand into the air. He didn't know why he was so nervous, he knew his friends would like it, and he didn't care about what the others thought (not really anyways. I mean, he had a superhero as a best friend, the scariest person (male or female) in his grade as a best friend, and he himself was a technological genius. What else did he need?). So why was he so nervous?

Swallowing his nerves, he walked up to the front of the classroom. Once at the front of the room, he froze for a minute, apparently remembering something.

**oOoOoOo**

**A WEEK AGO, THE DAY THE POEMS WERE ASSIGNED. **

Tucker Foley and Sam Manson sat down at the usual table. Danny was fighting The Box Ghost in the basement of the school last time the two saw him, and he insisted they go to lunch without him, as he could handle the entirely unintimidating ghost himself. Huffing in annoyance, the two had obliged, and each grabbed their bag lunches and went to sit down. Sam always packed her lunch because her ultra recyclo vegetarian diet forbade most of the items on the lunch line, while Tucker brought his because the cafeteria line just didn't have enough meat.

As soon as he sat down, Tucker took out a piece of paper and stared at it, while Sam took out another piece (figuring that Tucker didn't want to talk) and started writing the school board yet another letter protesting all the unhealthy food served on the lunch line. But, back to Tucker. Tuck wanted to get his poem done now, and leave it in his locker because fighting ghosts with Danny meant he didn't have a whole lot of extra time to be doing homework AND the occasional destruction of homework happened if a ghost fight broke out on the trio's daily walk home.

Tucker knew he was going to do his poem on friendship, but what should he say about friendship? What could he say about the three of them? The three that always went everywhere with each other? The three that faced life (or half-life) and death situations every day? The three… wait! Three…

**oOoOoOo**

**BACK TO THE PRESENT. YOU ALL GET THE IDEA BY NOW, I'M NOT SURE WHY I STILL AM PUTTING THIS IN HERE…**

"Hey guys," Tucker said, more to his two friends than anyone else. "My poem is titled Three." Sam and Danny smiled, not knowing how this was going to work out, but figuring it would be good.

"Three.  
They say good things come in threes.  
Three little pigs.  
Three wishes,  
Although wishes are evil, take it from me.  
Three musketeers.  
Three lives,  
Or two and a half, technically.  
Three primary colors.  
Three ships coming to America,  
Although more came eventually.  
Three blind mice.  
Three little kittens,  
For a certain friend of Danny's.  
They say good things come in threes.  
And that applies to my two best friends and me."

Luckily, by the end of the poem, almost everyone had forgotten the line about the half-life. And those who didn't just passed it off as Tucker referencing their less than stellar social standings in school. They all however realized that Tucker was talking about him and his friends, and while most couldn't relate to being friends with Sam and Danny, the poem was well written, so they clapped politely, and Tucker, happy with this went to his seat beaming.

Well, everyone forgot or passed off the half-life line except for the other 2/3 of the trio. Both were a little mad that Tucker had just blatantly said that, but because he had said it in a way no one could take him seriously in, they let it slide. For now.

Danny almost laughed out loud at the line "thee little kittens for a certain friend of Danny's" lines. He knew that he was referencing Vlad, as Danny had many a time ranted to his two friends about how much the billionaire needed a cat or two, or three. He was touched by the poem though. He was really glad that he had friends that accepted him for him, both before and after the portal accident.

Sam was also touched by the poem, in her own way. She couldn't believe that Tucker even mentioned the half-life thing, but she figured she could lecture him on that later. Now, she'd just be glad she had such great friends. Being a natural introvert left Sam struggling to get along with people. But when she transferred to Amity Middle School in the sixth grade, she finally found some friends. When she first walked into the new school, she was slightly intimidated. But Danny and Tucker who had been best friends already, saw that she needed a little help, and tried to befriend her.

It didn't work at first: she didn't need friends before and she didn't need them now, especially if they were just pity-friends. But after trying to talk to her every day for a week, Sam finally realized that they were being genuine. And thus a new group friendship was begun. The technogeek, the Goth girl, and the goodie goodie freak. Or at least that's what other people thought of them. They were really a young genius who would change the world with his ideas, an opinionated activist who would one day have a huge influence on the earth, and a strong superhero in disguise who would one day soon save the planet.

Little did Sam know, that was exactly what Tucker and Danny also saw themselves as. And as Tucker was sitting down and regaining his composure, he was really looking forward to his two friends' poems.

**AN: And there was Tucker. Next up: Sam! Remember to review and I hope you enjoyed the story**


	10. Sam

**AN: Here is (are) Sam's poem(s) (hint hint). Anyways, I have a poll up on my page, so you guys should check it out and answer it: I really would appreciate it! *Hypnotic voice*: CHECK OUT THE POLL NOW… or when you get done with this chapter… either works**** Thanks for the reviews: Over 100 in a week and a half! Enjoy the story!**

After Tucker had finished his poem, Danny still hadn't finished his own poem… he had never been the most creative person. Seeing this, Sam came up with an idea to buy Danny more time. She actually had a whole notebook of poetry on her, she could see if she could read more than one poem… that way Danny would have more time to finish his. So, after their teacher asked yet again for volunteers, the raven-haired girl raised her hand.

"Sam," Mr. Lancer said plainly, becoming with his hand for her to come forward.

"Mr. Lancer," Sam asked, still sitting at her desk, "Can I do more than one poem?"

Lester Lancer was absolutely shocked that one of his students had actually gone so far as to writing more than one poem- it was every teacher's dream, seeing a student go above and beyond what was expected just for the love of the subject. But, alas, they were short on time. "You may recite two poems, Miss Manson."

It wasn't the five or ten Sam was hoping to be able to read, but it was better than one, so she walked to the front of the classroom, all the while thinking about how she came about beginning her poetry journal.

**oOoOoOo**

**FOURISH YEARS AGO:**

Samantha, Sam-if-you-value-your-life, Manson was certainly not your typical fifth grade girl. Sure, she wore pink like most of them, but she hated it. In fact, she was trying to become Goth… if only she could find a way to get darker clothes without her parents knowing... Instead of crushing on the "hot" boys and teenage pop stars, she was a self-dubbed "anti-romantic" whose only interests in guys were lead singers in her bands.

Even at a young age, Sam had plans of warding off the clothes her parents tried forcing her to wear, and instead wanted to spend her allowance on darker, not as girly clothes. The wiki how-tos she was reading on the topic told her that Goths wore dark clothes That and that writing poetry is also a good idea to get into the unique culture.

And that is how the black journal began. Being an ultra recyclo vegetarian, she wrote small and used all the blank space on the page. Coupled with the facts that it was a large notebook to begin and that Sam took the utmost care with the object, the book managed to last five years. But back to the fifth grade.

Sam didn't write in the book as much as she would've liked too, but she wrote whenever she had a good idea for a poem or something important to share. Soon enough a lot of the pages were filled with Sam's thoughts and poetry.

She would later show the book to Danny and Tucker, but after reading a few of her poems, they seemed to get depressed at all of the dark things she wrote about. She didn't show it to them after that one incident.

**oOoOoOo**

"My first poem," Sam said with a rare smile on her face, or at least rare in school, "is titled Death."

"Death.  
The act of leaving this world.  
Becoming a ghost.  
Passing on.  
Death.  
Why is everyone so scared of death?  
Is dying really that bad?  
Is being alive even all that great?  
Death.  
In my opinion- not that any of you care about that-  
Death should not be feared.  
The only thing we should fear is painful life,  
But we shouldn't fear death."

Once everyone realized she was finished, they clapped hesitantly. The creepy poem scared most of Sam's classmates- no one really liked to think about death. By far though, Danny was the most scared. He had only barely managed to escape complete death once, he didn't want to die again. Sam thought that Danny would be the most comfortable out of the group with the subject of death, but she was sorely mistaken. Eventually though he went back to writing his own poem.

Deciding to move on, Sam said, "My second poem is Change."

"Change.  
I know I've changed a lot  
Over the past few years  
Some changes were good,  
And some were bad.  
I don't care as much about what others think of me  
At the cost of becoming almost heartless.  
And I don't get messed with  
At the cost of having to appear emotionless.  
I am stronger than before  
At the cost of my innocence.  
I know I've changed a lot  
Over these past few years,  
And I can't help but wonder,  
After another two years, or maybe three,  
Will I be someone completely different?  
Will I even be me?"

Sam's second poem got considerably more applause then her first poem. Her poem seemed to remind everyone that they weren't who they were the day before and they wouldn't be what they were that day the next day. Smirking happily at the applause, Sam walked back to her desk in the back of the classroom.

Tucker, for one was creeped out by both of Sam's poems. Of course he should be afraid of death- its death! And why should he be worrying about who he was in the future when there was already enough to worry about in the present? He was just glad that Danny was to focused on finally finishing his own poem to contemplate Sam's poems. They were most definitely not Danny-friendly. The first one was about dying, and the second one was about who we are doomed to become! _What were you thinking, Sam? _Tucker asked himself.

Throughout most of this, Danny continued to write his poem. Until he eventually put his pencil down and sighed with relief. He had finished just in time! Now all that was left was to present it…

**AN: Hope you guys enjoyed! Remember to answer my poll… it's right above my bio. And make sure to leave a review- what do you think Danny's poem should/will be about?**


	11. Danny

**AN: 9 students, 10 chapters, 10k+ words, 31 favorites, 52 follows, 127 reviews, and 3,972 views. One week and a half, all leading up to this. No pressure for me… who am I kidding, my hands are practically shaking. Thank you guys so much for the support, you guys are the reason this is here, and the reason why it got here so quickly. Thanks. Oh, and for those who saw and answered my poll (Thanks so much!), I have created the forum. The forum is titled Everything Poems… and that explains it all. Link is in my bio. All that aside, enjoy the chapter… and this isn't the end… an epilogue should be up soon!**

"Mr. Fenton," the English teacher beckoned the last student left to present up to the front of the classroom. Leave it to Daniel to procrastinate as much as possible…

Glad that he had finally completed his poem, yet still nervous to read it in front of the class, Danny hesitantly made his way to the front of the classroom, piece of paper with rough edges (clearly ripped out of a notebook quickly and carelessly) in hand. Shuffling to the front of the room, Danny thought about what… and whom… had brought on the poem. _And so quickly_, Danny added mentally.)

**oOoOoOo**

**FLASHBACK TO THE BEGGINNING OF CHAPTER THREE. JUST BEFORE STAR VOLUNTEERED TO READ HER POEM…**

"Completely forgot to do the assignment," Danny moaned, yet his face, now laid down on the desk had a look of resoluteness. Not that anyone could see that. He had pretty much gotten used to not being able to or forgetting to do his homework assignments because of the ghost attacks. _But_, he added, his hero complex taking over, _someone else's life is more important than my grades. More important than anyone's grades._

Sam's voice broke him out of his thought process. "Maybe you can go last, that way you won't have to go until tomorrow." Maybe, he thought.

"And if that doesn't work, you could always just wing it," Tucker suggested. Danny mentally sighed. Winging it wasn't exactly his forte, especially when it came to school. He would sooner just take the F.

"Gee thanks guys," he responded sarcastically, already forming his own plan on how to save his grades, provided no ghosts attacked.

As soon as Star started reading her poem, Danny discretely took out a notebook and a pencil. _Now, what should my topic be? _ Tuning out Star's poem, although he could still remember the gist of it, he began to go through potential topic ideas in his head.

_Astronomy? Too hard to write in such little time. Heroism? This one already got ruled out. A different side of me? People might get suspicious… or laugh- either or seems likely. Fear? No. To these people I'm supposedly afraid of everything. Having to juggle many too many things? No. I'm not a part of extracurricular activities, they will laugh. Being invisible? How would I even write about that, I'm not a genius! Dan? I don't even want to think about that guy, much less write a poem about him. This is really starting to seem hopeless… _

**oOoOoOo**

**BACK TO THE PRESENT: FOR THE LAST TIME**

"Hope." And with finishing the shortest intro out of all the class, Danny began to read.

"Hope.  
Can't give up  
Can't give in  
This isn't over  
I can't let Him win.  
Can't step down,  
Can't go back.  
I'm not done yet.  
When I feel like giving up  
When I'm dying to give in  
I've got to hope  
That I can prevail.  
I can't lose hope,  
Hope's always there  
When I don't think I can stand any longer,  
When I doubt I can walk any further,  
One thing keeps me from quitting.  
Hope.  
When I can't find motivation  
When I feel myself breaking down  
I still have hope.  
It keeps me alive,  
Keeps me moving.  
Keeps me motivated,  
Keeps me from losing.  
Keeps me from giving up on myself.  
I know I can  
Defeat the ultimate enemy  
And still remain the real me.  
I know I can keep the promises I made to you.,  
And I can keep the promises I've made to myself,  
Because I have hope."

Most of the class was bewildered at some of the lines in Danny's poem. Who is "The Ultimate Enemy"? Who is Him? Is Him The Ultimate Enemy? Was what he was saying literal, he was literally fighting against an enemy of his, or was it all a big metaphor? Brushing it off as a metaphor, they all started clapping.

Some people were clapping hesitantly, others profusely, but they were all clapping. No one could argue that the poem wasn't well written, and the topic of hope, or the lack thereof, was extremely relatable with teens. For some it was the hope for college, or just the hope to make it out of high school alive… although the latter was more of the lack thereof.

Even Samantha- doom and gloom Sam- Manson enjoyed the poem. She often times struggled with hope, but being best friends with two of the most optimistic and funny people alive (or partially alive) could make anyone's depression go away.

Tucker Foley also enjoyed the poem. While in everyday life Tucker had just as much hope as anyone else, it took a lot for him to keep faith while battling otherworldly entities. You had to hope that you'd get out without being completely dead. You had to hope that your friends also made it out ok. And let's not even get started on the mind control…

Danny, still at the front of the classroom, was smiling for just the fact that no one seemed suspicious. But they were also clapping, making him probably the happiest he'd been in a while. Returning to his desk, he sighed in relief. As the rest of the class went back to talking about various subjects from chess to football, he beckoned his two friends to lean in closer to him. They did as bid.

Deciding to get straight to what he wanted to say, Danny spoke. "You guys are the reason I still have hope."

Sam and Tucker were flat out touched. Tucker replied first. "Thanks dude. You two are the reason I am who I am today. You are great friends."

"And," Sam added, "you two are the reason I'm not scared of change. Because whatever happens, we'll still be Danny, Tuck, and Sam, the society-dubbed Freak Trio and the self-dubbed Team Phantom."

All three smiled. As soon as the three smiled, the school bell rang, signaling the end of first period. After waiting out the stampeded of students, the three best friends walked out of the classroom side by side.

That is, until they got to the doorway. They had to walk in line to get out the door, but after that, side by side. Side by side to their next class, side by side at the next ghost fight, side by side for life.

**AN: And that's a wrap! Remember to review. Remember to look out for the epilogue. Remember to check out my forum. Remember people, remember! ** **And thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me- I really appreciate all of you!**


	12. The Aftermath

**AN: And, after the longest hiatus ever for this story (three days, sue me! Besides, I was busy. I actually won my school spelling bee yesterday.), I give you the epilogue.**

"So, as you all know, last week we all wrote poems for an assignment," Mr. Lancer said, pointing out what was obvious to the entire class, who were really just waiting for the final five minutes of class to be over so they could finally get out of there. "Well, your poems were much better than I originally and, as you kids say these days, totally rad, I decided to type them up into a book."

A few of the students who weren't paying attention up until this point- Danny included- were so surprised that Lancer made their poems into a book, their heads literally snapped up from where they were laying on the students' various desks.

"W-wait," Nathan stuttered. "These aren't going to be p-published, right?" The smaller boy didn't want his poem to be published, that would mean that random strangers would actually _read_ his writing, and he didn't want that for this particular writing of his.

"No, Nathan, these will not be published. I just put them in small paper books and I will give each of you a copy. That way you can keep them and hold onto them to show _your_ kids!" Finishing his enthusiastic explanation, Mr. Lancer started handing out a short stack of papers connected by three staples on the left side to each of his students.

Realizing what was happening, almost the whole class groaned. Even though the entire class's poems were nicely written, they still weren't interesting enough to read again. The only one who was really interested in having the poems was Sam, who wanted to add a section for other people's poems to her poem book. But even she groaned along with the rest of the class: the line about sharing the poems with their kids really was cheesy.

So, naturally, almost the entire class stopped by the recycling bin on their way out of class when the bell finally did ring to recycle their books. But stopping was all they did. Each student remembering their favorite poem out of the class, they realized that the poems of their friends, and even some not by their friends, didn't deserve to end up at the bottom of a recycling bin.

So, glancing at the blue bin one more time, they held tighter to their booklets and walked on. And as everyone sat in their next hour class, be it history, trig, or something in between, literally everyone was secretly reading the book of poems from behind their textbooks.

They read all of the poems, from the cynical words of Mikey's poem to the blunt sincerity in Dash's. From the morbid intricacy that were Sam's poems to the hopeful statements that were apart of Danny's.

Through the assignment, Mr. Lancer's ninth grade English class had learned more about the personality of their classmates than they had in their many years of having classes together. And they gained respect for the students they previously had none for.

That wasn't to say everything changed though. Dash didn't stop beating up on Nathan for being a band nerd. Star and Kwan still shared feelings of inadequacy and they still took second place. Mikey still felt like a failure sometimes and Paulina still had the world's second biggest crush on Phantom. Valerie continued to fight and lose against the ghost boy. The jocks still referred to Tucker and his two friends the "Freak Trio." Dash was still terrified of college. Sam continued to fear becoming something other than herself and Danny still feared his future self.

But some things did change. They knew they weren't alone in their fears anymore. When Nathan was getting bullied for being a band geek, Mikey was right next to him, and they'd help each other up afterwards. And when he did help his friend up, Mikey didn't feel like such a failure, he was helping someone. Star and Kwan made a pact to be second stringers together, and they decided that they would make being second the best thing you could be- you didn't have to be the leader, but you were important. Paulina became a little less obsessive, as she was starting to realize that attempting to date a dead guy might not exactly work out. Valerie held on to hope that she would eventually capture the ghost kid, and then she would get answers, but maybe he was a hero. And maybe once she got the sufficient answers as to why his ghost pup attacked, maybe in her heart she could forgive him.

Not anymore. Dash started to try harder in his classes, and he was able to bring that D up to a B+. Tucker started to take the term "Freak Trio" as a compliment. I mean, they were a half ghost kid, a techno geek, and a Goth And they were best friends. They earned that title, they deserved that title, that title was who they were, not an insult. Sam figured that no matter what, she'd always be herself. She would improve on who she was, but she'd always be herself. And after thinking that, she'd purposely divert his mind to something else.

Danny still feared his future self, but like his poem said, he kept hope. They all did. Hope is what keeps us alive, after all. And they kept those booklets. 20 years down the line when they needed some encouragement, they would go back and read their classmates old poems, as to remind themselves of who they were and who've they become, and who they could be in the future.

And they all kept hoping for the best.

**AN: And this story is officially finished! Once again, thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story: you guys really encouraged me! Remember to check out my forum, Everything Poems. Link's in my bio. I will probably do another poem story titled "Sam's Poetry Book" in the future, but that all depends on a number of things. Until then, I'll be writing one shots, and updating a ton of stories for other fandoms that I've completely ignored while writing this ****. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING AND HAVE A NICE DAY- THAT'S AN ORDER!**

**Finishing her first non-one-shot story,**

**InsanityIsClarity**


	13. The After-Ending

**AN: SUPPRISE! Those of you who have been reading Sam's Poetry Journal (this story's prequel) know that I was going to be doing a surprise with your guys's favorite character. Well too bad! I couldn't do just one, so I did them all! Enjoy!**

**Amity Park: 15 years in the future:**

_What's this?_

Danny Fenton was cleaning out the attic, for the first time in his 4 years of marriage, and had come across yet another box. But this one, unlike the other cardboard boxes was wooden, and considerably smaller compared to them too. Curious, he opened it up.

As soon as he saw the contents of the box, a wave of nostalgia came over the 29-year-old Danny. It was his high school mementos, all in one place. Determining that it was high time he got a break, he climbed down the ladder to the garage and walked into the house.

Setting the box on the kitchen table, he opened it once again, and picked out the packet of papers on the top. Brushing the dust off, he read the words: _The English Assignment: a Collection of Poems_. Seeing the old book made Danny remember the assignment: how he had procrastinated, how him and his classmates had written surprisingly good poems, how Mr. Lancer had made the books, and how he had suggested they show them to their children.

Danny would've shown the poems to his children, but as of now, his oldest child, Lilith, was just three years old. He'd read the poems to her when she was older. He'd read them to both her and Tucker Jr, TJ for short, their one-year-old son.

So far, their kids had proven to be quateras, humans who had a ghost sense, intangibility and flight powers, but none of the other ghost powers. Since they couldn't exactly attack with those powers, Sam and Danny had agreed to train their kids in the art of ghost hunting (in a more toned down manner than the Jack Fenton method) when they were old enough.

After the dust was fully off the packet, Danny opened it up and began reading.

* * *

Sam Fenton came downstairs. She had been working from home on her laptop when she got hungry. Intending to make herself a salad, she went down to the kitchen. She could hear Danny in the living room on the phone, and she could tell from the tone of her voice that he was talking to Danny. Walking further in to the kitchen, she spotted an old wooden box on the table. On top was a wrinkled packet of papers.

She picked it up, reading the title and recognizing it as the only poetry assignment in her entire high school career. She flipped the pages open to read the first poem, Nathan's. She read the words about the music, and connected with the writing with the poem once more. She still lost herself into music sometimes. Except this time she wasn't lost alone. Instead of being alone with her earbuds, she was with her two kids and her husband enjoying the music together.

Sam had always appreciated poetry, but she had almost never appreciated her high school peers. However, that particular assignment made her raise her appreciation at least a little bit.

Flipping the page with a small smile, she began reading Star's poem. Sam really never felt second to anyone, as she had always been her own person, but she did like Star's writing style, how she went from explaining that she'd be fine, yet wanting something more in the very next line. In fact, Sam and Star were sort-of-friends now. If you counted having someone as a contact on your phone being friends.

Speaking of which, she should really text Star sometime…

* * *

Tucker just got off the phone with Danny. He always loved talking to his best friend, even though he was busy with mayoral stuff. One always had time for one's best friend, especially if said friend was the savior of the world. Correction: is the savior of the world. Danny still saved the world on an almost monthly basis, and saved the town on a daily basis.

No one had really expected the ghosts to stop attacking after the Disasteroid incident, and no one really expected for Plasmius to stay in space forever. And now that all of the ghosts knew both of Danny's identities (not that most didn't know before) and Plasmius didn't have the restrictions of having to keep his secret identity keeping him from going all out on Danny, his superhero duties were as constant as ever.

So Tucker was glad when Danny did call. It was fun to talk to him, and this call was no exception, even if it the topic was a bit out-of-the-ordinary. Apparently, Danny still had the book of poems from the one English assignment back in the 9th grade. Thinking back on it, the poems sounded pretty fun to read again, to relive high school for a minute, but he wasn't sure if he still had his copy.

Five minutes later, he knew he didn't still have his copy. But Valerie had kept hers, and now the two were on their couch, side by side, already on Mikey's depressing poem.

"Funny," Valerie said, "how the person who wrote about feeling like a failure is the one who co-owns the biggest company in the state."

"Yeah," Tucker agreed, "he and Nathan sure did well for themselves."

"They did, didn't they. Plus, contrary to what we all thought in high school, they both ended up with wives, and Julia and Sara are really nice ladies. But we did great too, you know… owning the biggest technological weapons company in the country."

"No, no we didn't," Tucker gave his wife a quick kiss, "but it would be kinda nice to talk to them sometimes."

"Tucker," Valerie said, in that voice that said he clearly was being oblivious about something, "Don't you have their numbers on your contacts list?"

"I do! But first, let's finish reading this."

* * *

_Hey Star, it's Sam. Guess what? Danny and I found that old poetry book from the ninth grade… and it's even more fun to read now than it was to read then, at least for me anyways. If you still have it, you should consider reading it again__._

"Hey Kwan, do we still have that poetry book from the ninth grade?"

* * *

"_How's it going, Nathan? Mikey? This is your business line, so I know I reached both of you. Remember when Mr. Lancer made us write those poems in the ninth grade and then made a book out of them? Remember how we all almost threw them away? I'm so glad I didn't- our poems were- still are- spectacular. If you have free time, you should totally read them again. Until then, I guess this message is over. Bye."_

"Hey Mikey, would you and Sara like to come over for dinner tonight? We've got good food, plus we can go back and look at pictures, poems, and such. I've got a whole box of high school mementos."

* * *

Dash opened his front door, only to see a packet of papers sitting on the stoop. What's this? He picked it up, and read the sticky note on the top. _Star found her copy this weekend. Since trying to find old stuff is like searching for a needle in a haystack, I copied Star's for you and dropped it off on my way to work. Read and enjoy!_

Dash smiled at the thought of his still best friend and pulled the sticky note off the top paper. He read the title and remembered. _This is the one assignment in Mr. Lancer's class that I didn't hate!_

Now, excited he went back inside, intending to find Paulina. It'd be fun to read it together.

* * *

Mr. Lancer finally plugged his phone into his charger after it being dead for three days. Once it was charged, he turned it on, noticing that he had about 11 new emails. Scrolling through the 11, he saw titles like _The English Assignment_, _Remember that poetry book you made us?_, and the like.

He knew what they were about before he even opened them up. _I knew this would happen._

**AN: I hope you enjoyed, and remember, it's never too late for reviews!**


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